Re: A new low…?
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2023 4:28 pm
How is the selection process massively flawed? A few years back certainly but think they’ve made good advances there and with the underage programme as a whole. Lots of kids participating in Ulster underage training each week with some very good coaches. Main issue for me is driving quality coaching & athletic development out to more in schools & clubs. Outside the big schools there is a massive drop off in quality in both, while they again are massively behind the private funded Dublin schools who are basically running mini academies.nonplussed wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 1:33 pmWe do not have a prviate school system up here so the cash isnt there, and numbers arent either. The rugby programmes at the likes of St Michaels are a pipe dream for most schools here. Also, the selction process for those that go to underage Ulster training is massively flawed. In fact the underage system is extremely poor, and merely builds egos in some and disenfranchises others.Dublin4 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 12:13 pm As a Leinster fan, I am desperately worried about our dominance at the moment. It is no good for us if the other provinces cannot keep up. If, in fact, we damage the game in the rest of the country.
The core of the issue is the extraordinary development of players in a dozen or so schools. Keenan, Doris and Ringrose from Blackrock. Ryan, Kelleher and Baird from St Michaels. Sheehan and Beirne from Clongowes. Then one player each from other elite schools, Sexton,Healy, JOB, Porter, and JVDF. And I am only speaking of international level.
The other provinces need to get their schools and youth teams to a similar level. As a short term fix, I would not mind all 18 year old prospects for the Leinster academy being directed to the other provinces for two seasons. I know this interferes with educational choices but it might work. Alternatively, move the current u20s team en bloc away from Leinster. Imagine if Ulster had Prendergast at 10. Or if McErlean could return to Ulster.